This application is 371 of PCT/FR99/00010 filed on Jan. 6, 1999.
The present invention relates to a formulation comprising honey.
Honey, known world-wide for its diverse origins, is already used, alone, for its cell and/or tissue regenerating properties.
Honey has the disadvantage of comprising different germs of a quantity according to its origin. Consequently, although it also offers interesting nutritive and gustatory characteristics, honey cannot be used in medical applications since it does represent a sterile medium.
In addition, essential oils are already used in the perfume and food industries for their olfactory and/or gustatory properties.
Also, there is a need for a sterile formulation, with interesting nutritive and gustatory characteristics, offering risk-free use for the human body and/or for animals for therapeutic purposes and/or in the cosmetic and/or food industry.
The present invention relates to a formulation comprising honey, characterised in that it comprises 1 to 5% by weight of at least one essential oil and/or at least one essential oil derivative selected from cloves, savory or oregano, with reference of the total weight of the formulation.
The formulation according to the invention offers the advantage of, firstly, eliminating the pathogenic or non-pathogenic germs present in honey and, secondly, can provide a sterile medium, capable of containing in its internal surface and/or harvesting on its surface, other chemical constituents and/or molecules, for therapeutic purposes and/or in the cosmetic and/or food industry. The presence of at least one essential oil and/or one essential oil derivative eliminates the germs potentially present in the honey. The concentration of chemical constituents added to the sterile medium depends on their type, the body""s tolerance limit for each ingestion or cutaneous application and the physical structure of the chemical constituent.
This sterile medium also offers the advantage of having a sweet, pleasant taste, thus facilitating its ingestion by very young children and/or infants.
The formulation also offers the advantage of using honey, which an inexpensive natural product, as its main constituent. Honey, produced by bees and harvested easily in beehives, is free of exogenic substances, such as insecticides.
In addition, so that it can be used in the formulation according to the invention, the honey, when harvested, must not be subjected to any treatment, such as heating, which is often applied by beekeepers to make it easier to remove from the beehive.
The invention also relates to the use of a formulation comprising honey, at least one essential oil and/or at least one essential oil derivative as an antibacterial agent.
Thirdly, the invention relates to the use of a formulation comprising honey, at least one essential oil and/or at least one essential oil derivative for the production of a medicinal product intended to treat viral infections.
Fourthly, the invention relates to the use of a formulation comprising honey, at least one essential oil and/or at least one essential oil derivative for the production of a medicinal product intended to treat mycotic infections.
In the therapeutic field, the conditions for which the formulation can be used include, but not exhaustively, ENT infections, such as colds, influenza, tonsillitis, sinusitis, pneumological infections such as chronic bronchitis, gynaecological conditions such as menopause, hot flushes and gastro-enterological conditions such as constipation and diarrhoea.
In dermatology, the formulation may be used for chilblains, warts, burns, sunburn, acne and cellulite.
The invention also relates to the use of a formulation comprising honey, at least one essential oil and/or at least one essential oil derivative for the production of a medicinal product intended for cell and/or tissue regeneration.
Finally, the invention also relates to the use of a formulation comprising honey, at least one essential oil and/or at least one essential oil derivative as an excipient, food medium or cosmetic medium.
In the field of cosmetics, the formulation can particularly be used in skin treatment and/or care products such as moisturising, anti-wrinkle and slimming creams, in hair cleaning and/or care products such as shampoos, in soaps, in dental and mouth care products such as toothpaste and in hydrotherapy products for baths.
Honey is essentially composed of 20% water, 38% levulose, 31% glucose, 1.3% sucrose, 8.37% acid compounds (with an overall pH of 3.91), 0.83% proteins and 0.5% mineral salts.
The essential oil may be selected from natural or industrially synthesised essential oils and their derivatives.
To obtain the formulation according to the invention, the honey is firstly extracted from the honeycombs in the super hives, by centrifugation, at ambient temperature and pressure, and it is then mixed with at least one essential oil before it crystallises.
Preferably, the essential oil is selected from aromatic compounds and their esters, flavenoids, terpenes, phenols, alcohols and their esters, oxides, aliphatic and cyclic esters, sulphured aliphatic compounds, aldehydes, ketones, lactones, heterocycles comprising at least one oxygen atom, heterocycles comprising at least one nitrogen atom or at least one nitrogen and one sulphur atom, aromatic acids and their esters, aliphatic and cyclic esters, and their derivatives.
The quality of an essential oil is the result of the proportions of its constituents and the presence of specific substances, frequently in very low quantities.
Among natural essential oils, the formulation according to the invention may particularly comprise, eucalyptus radiata, ravensara aromatica, mint, lavender, thyme, savory, officinal sage, rosemary, cedarwood, clove, vetiver, geranium, bergamot, coriander, jasmine, rose and their derivatives.
Among the essential oils obtained by chemical synthesis, the formulation may comprise aliphatic and cyclic esters such as butyl acetate (apple), isoamyl acetate (banana), ethyl butyrate (pineapple), or aliphatic ketones such as diacetyl (constituent of butter) and their derivatives.
Among the non-cyclic terpenic alcohols, the formulation may comprise geraniol (rose), linalol (lily of the valley) and among the non-cyclic terpenic aldehydes, citral (neral+geranial) or citronelall and their derivatives may be used.
Among the sulphured aliphatic compounds, it is possible to use diallyldisulphide (garlic), cis and transpropenylpropyldisulphide (onion), or among the cyclic terpenic alcohols and their esters, bornyl acetate (pine needles) and their derivatives.
Among the cyclic terpenic ketones, it is possible to used menthone (mint), carvone (herbaceous odour), and their derivatives. The aromatic alcohols include benzyl alcohol, trans-cinnamic alcohol (hyacinth), 2-phenylethylene alcohol (rose) and their derivatives.
Among the aromatic aldehydes, it is possible to use trans-cinnamic aldehyde (cinnamon), benzaladehyde (bitter almond), phenylacetic acid (honey), isoamyl salicylate (clover), methyl anthranilate (orange blossom) and their derivatives.
Among the phenols and their esters and ethers, it is possible to use thymol (thyme), eugenol (clove), anethol (aniseed), and among the aldehyde phenols, vanillin (vanilla), and their derivatives.
In the family of heterocycles comprising at least one oxygen atom, it is possible to use coumarine (hay), ethylmaltol (caramel), or among the heterocycles comprising at least one nitrogen atom or at least one nitrogen and sulphur atom, 2-isobutylthiazole (tomato) and their derivatives.
Preferably, the formulation comprises honey, at least one essential oil and/or one essential oil derivative selected from lemongrass, cloves, cinnamon, white thyme, red thyme, oregano and their derivatives.
Preferably, the formulation comprises honey and oregano.
The quantity of honey comprised is preferably between 0.5% and 25% by weight, preferably between 0.5% and 5% by weight, and more particularly 5% by weight with reference to the total weight of the formulation.
The quantity of essential oil present may be between 1% and 5% by weight, preferably between 1 and 2% by weight, and more particularly 1% by weight with reference to the total weight of the formulation.
More particularly, the formulation comprises 5% honey and 1% oregano.
The formulation; according to the invention may also comprise at least one additive selected from propolis, moisturising agents, perfumes, vitamins, trace elements, fats, surfactants, thickening agents, fillers, antioxidants, pigments, gelling agents, electrolytes, proteins, peptides, amino acids, carbohydrates, preservatives, colorants, water, alcohols, royal jelly, pollen and yeasts.
The trace elements include potassium, selenium, manganese, cobalt, zinc, copper, gold, silver and sulphur. The vitamins that can be incorporated in the formulation according to the invention include vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B8, B12, C, D3, PP.
Propolis is essentially composed of 50% to 55% resin and balm, 25 to 35% wax, 10% essential oils, 5% pollen and 5% various organic and mineral substances.
The additional presence of propolis in the formulation according to the invention stimulates the antibacterial, antimycotic and antiviral effect of said formulation.
According to a variant, the formulation may comprise 5% honey, 1% of at least one essential oil and/or at least one essential oil derivative and 1% propolis.
The proportion of additive comprised is preferably between 80% and 95% by weight, preferably between 85% and 88% by weight, and more particularly 90% by weight with reference to the total weight of the formulation.
The formulation according to the invention may be presented in the form of an oil in water or water in oil emulsion, an aqueous solution, a hydroalcoholic solution, aqueous gel, oily gel or a dispersion of vesicles.
The formulation according to the invention may be presented in different pharmaceutical forms, such as in the form of suppositories, tablets, capsules, ointment, ovules, solution, lotion, cream, milk, shampoo, soap, lipstick, makeup, foundation, powder, toothpaste, sun cream, deodorant, spray, dressings, syrup, eye drops, chewing gum, drinks, lollipops or ampoules.
The formulation according to the invention may consist of a food, cosmetic and/or dermatological formulation for the skin and/or mucosa.
The formulation according to the invention intended for use in the food industry may be presented in the form of anti-depressant, anti-stress, anti-ageing, dietary, fitness, aphrodisiac or anti-insomnia products.
In addition, said formulation may be intended to disinfect sanitary equipment such as intensive care rooms and rooms for contagious patients. The formulation may particularly come in the form of an aerosol combined with a deodorant or not.
The invention will now be described using the examples below, which are not restrictive.
The proportions are given as percentages by weight.